As used herein, the term “shaving aid” is to be broadly construed to include shaving creams, soaps, gels and foams, as well as any other pre-, mid- or post-shaving skin preparations, such as, but not limited to, lotions, aftershaves, perfumes, balms, razor cleaners, whisker softeners, cosmetic agents or other medicinal skin applications, and combinations thereof. The term “shaving aid” also refers equally either to the active ingredient combined with a delivery system, such as a water-insoluble microporous matrix structure, or to the active ingredient alone. Previously suggested active ingredients include those in U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,821 to Booth, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
Over the years, many improvements have been made to razors in order to make such razors more comfortable to use and more efficient at their intended task. Towards this end, some wet shaving razors incorporate systems for dispensing shaving aids that can be applied before, during and/or after shaving. Shaving aids are applied to the skin surface for various reasons. For example, shaving cream, soap, gel or foam is typically applied by a user prior to shaving to soften the hair to be cut and to lubricate the skin surface. Lotions, balms and other medicinal skin applications are often used to relieve skin irritation caused by shaving. Perfumes, scented aftershaves and other cosmetic agents are often applied after shaving.
Shaving aid preparations are typically applied to the skin surface in several ways: (1) via manual application of gels, creams or lotions before or after shaving; (2) through lubrication or comfort strips attached to the razors; or (3) with devices added to the razor assembly that deliver materials through conventional means such as aerosols, squeeze tubes, pumps and the like.
Existing means for applying shaving aid preparations to the skin surface have drawbacks that affect the shaving performance of the razors with which such means are used. For example, shaving aid is often inconsistently and uncontrollably applied to the skin surface both during a shaving operation and through the life of the razor cartridge. Further, the provision of shaving aid often interferes with the effectiveness of the razor by, for example, creating waste or shaving debris that dogs the razor cartridge and blocks the cutting edges of the razor blades. Additionally, the shaving aid delivery means often are not coordinated with the life of the razor blades such that the shaving aid supply is exhausted before the razor blades wear down, or, alternatively, the blades may be dulled before the shaving aid supply is exhausted.
There exists a need in the art for a more efficacious means of delivering and dispensing shaving aids that not only accomplishes the objective of lubricating, soothing or treating the hair and skin surface, but also one which may be more controllably fixed to the razor cartridge. There also exists a need for a shaving aid dispenser system that efficiently applies shaving aid during a shaving operation without interfering with the razor blades or creating excess waste. Moreover, there exists a need in the art for a mechanism by which a user may determine if the lubrication strip has been depleted prior to its use.
With the foregoing problems and concerns in mind, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a shaving aid dispenser system for razors which overcomes or improves upon the above-described drawbacks.